Watch Back to the Beach For Free

i must have seen a different film!!

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

In this movie Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon played the characters they played in all those beach party movies. They married, moved to Ohio, have a daughter named Sandy (Lori Loughlin) in Califonia and a rebellious son Bobby (Damian Slade). They also act like the 1960s never ended. They go to California to visit Sandy and find things have changed at the beach. Well...not really. The kids at the beach STILL act like a bunch of idiots (just with better bodies this time), sex and drugs are NEVER brought up, nobody would dare swear and (sigh) there's a rival beach gang (all dressed in black) whose overacting would make Jim Carrey blush!This starts off great with son Bobby always insulting his father and seeing how everybody reacts to Funicello and Avalon's naivety and sweetness. Also the cameos by Bob Denver, Connie Stevens, Don Adams etc etc are fun and Annette sings a really fun song ("Jamaica Ska"). But the jokes quickly get repetitious and the movie completely goes flying out the window when Pee Wee Herman (!!!) shows up to sing "The Bird". Bizarre doesn't begin to cover it. Still it does have a lot of truly funny gags, is VERY colorful and the cast gives it their all. Just ALL the kids on the beach acting like a bunch of morons got on my nerves (I was never a big fan of the original "Beach Party" movies anyways). There are a few funny jabs at Funicello and her peanut butter commercials. I recommend it, but only if you've seen the beach party movies. Otherwise you'll be lost. I give it a 7.

Best movie ever!!! If you haven't seen it - BUY IT I could watch this movie over and over again LOVE LOVE LOVE IT :) Annette keeps you laughing The cheesy songs are catchy haha The beach is GORGEOUS and you gotta love the Big Kahuna :) last song from the movie is the best one yet haha the guy even gives Becky from full house an engagement ring with a little surfboard on it haha - so classic...(she should've said no haha but thats besides the point) haah Watch it :) Best movie ever!!! If you haven't seen it - BUY IT I could watch this movie over and over again LOVE LOVE LOVE IT :) Annette keeps you laughing The cheesy songs are catchy haha The beach is GORGEOUS and you gotta love the Big Kahuna :) last song from the movie is the best one yet haha the guy even gives Becky from full house an engagement ring with a little surfboard on it haha - so classic...(she should've said no haha but thats besides the point) haah Watch it :) Best movie ever!!! If you haven't seen it - BUY IT I could watch this movie over and over again LOVE LOVE LOVE IT :) Annette keeps you laughing The cheesy songs are catchy haha The beach is GORGEOUS and you gotta love the Big Kahuna :) last song from the movie is the best one yet haha the guy even gives Becky from full house an engagement ring with a little surfboard on it haha - so classic...(she should've said no haha but thats besides the point) haah Watch it :)

Yes, I grew up with the Beach movies - well, I was a young child, but I saw them. No, this "reunion" isn't worth watching. It is produced by Frankie and Annette, and thus primarily self-serving. The director has been involved with only a handful of projects over the years, and the lack of experience is evident.Cameos by Gilligan, Skipper, Don Adams, and the "Leave It to Beaver" gang are forced. Pee Wee's little number is more in tune with the 50s-in-the-80s funkiness of the script.It's an innocent romp, but will appeal only to those who are hardcore fans of the original 60s Beach flicks. "Psycho Beach Party" actually did the retro thing much better, but that R-rated film with a drag queen as the lead sure won't make too many of you happy.

I have a friend (to keep his name confidential, let's just call him Nor) who swears up and down on the merits of 1987's beach blanket bimbo film Back to the Beach staring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. In a recent communication, Nor commented on how this film always made him `feel good', and how many films can `honestly make that claim?'Now, when Back to the Beach first came to our local theatre some 17 years ago, I remember accompanying my little sister to the mall venue and having a fluff of a good time. I couldn't recall for you any of the characters or storyline if confronted on the street today, but as I roll my eyes upwards to try and recall this sand castle of a movie, I am not left with any resounding bad notions.Well, flip forward to 2004 and Paramount Studio's is finally releasing Back to the Beach on DVD to what I can only expect was little pressure (sorry, Nor). I doubt there was a lengthy petition nor do I expect that there was a rampage outside the Studio gates looking to free this film from its dust ridden resting place. However, now that its back, what better way to start off the summer than putting this small gem into the DVD player and being reminded of a simpler, more innocent time. Playing on Saturday afternoon television every so often, you may not require a detailed review of the films storyline, but here goes…Frankie and Annette have grown from their beach personas and are now living in Ohio. They return to L.A. to visit their daughter who to their surprise, is living with her boyfriend. To further add stress and tension, Frankie bumps into Connie (an old friend) who still has the hots for him and soon Frankie and Annette's marriage is on the rocks. All comes to a head when a group of thugs teams up with Frankie and Annette's rebellious son and challenge the father (known only to us in the film as the Big Kahuna), to a surfing contest. Back to the Beach's script could probably been written on a post-it note, but that doesn't mean we are not going to have some fun along the way. Interweaved through all the 80's fashion crazes are old television stars and even a 60's type musical number on the beach that if you don't watch out, will have you tapping your feet to the Jamaica SKA. Blink and you might miss Bob Denver and the late Alan Hale (Gilligan and the Skipper for you younger folk), Pee Wee Herman, Don Adams (Get Smart), Barbara Billingsly, Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers (Leave it to Beaver). Even Stevie Ray Vaughn and O.J. Simpson can be seen if you don't take washroom breaks. Now, I will be the first to admit that throwing a bunch of stars into a movie doesn't necessarily make for a good time, but the fact that none of these accredited actors take themselves seriously, means that the audience too can sit back and enjoy the performance. When Bob Denver continues to play up his Gilligan character he made famous, it takes us back even further to childhood memories of sitting in front of the 13 inch black and white television rooting for the castaways to eventually find their way off the island.Back to the Beach is not for all tastes and that was evident even back in '87 when the movie only grossed $13 million (granted, it was released on the same date as Dirty Dancing so it sort of slipped into the background). The humor is definitely roll-your-eyeish and the corny surfing scene in the climax kind of left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Most younger viewers won't get the inside jokes either like when Annette goes to the cupboard and pulls out a jar of SKIPPY peanut butter (she was their commercial spokesperson back in the early 80's) and that might take away from some of the films appeal.However, for a fun time in the vein of Saturday Night Live where each scene sets itself up as a skit – some work, some don't – it's not a bad way to say ‘hello' to the summer. Or should I say `aloha'? www.gregsrants.com